


Just a Little Braver

by AngelWithAStory



Category: Critical Role (Web Series), Critical Role: Wildemount Campaign (Web Series)
Genre: Celebrations, Drunk Dancing, Multi, Romantic Fluff, background beau/yasha, caleb is a good dancer, no beta we die like bad writers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-31
Updated: 2018-01-31
Packaged: 2019-03-11 16:52:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,030
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13528521
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AngelWithAStory/pseuds/AngelWithAStory
Summary: They didn’t have many excuses to celebrate unabashadley, but they never passed up the opportunity when it arose.





	Just a Little Braver

**Author's Note:**

> (i'm [queenmoggy](http://queenmoggy.tumblr.com/) on tumblr if you want to scroll through my critical role tags :P)
> 
> this was literally a distraction from the _other_ fic i'm writing that wasn't cooperating and I was very frustrated. out of the two fluff-filler fics I wrote to distract myself, this is the one that worked so hope you enjoy it  <3

They didn’t have many excuses to celebrate unabashadley, but they never passed up the opportunity when it arose.

This opportunity came in the form of a lively night in an unfamiliar tavern, and loud music and tables pushed to the side. It must have been a local festival that spilled indoors, but it was an excuse to be happy so no one objected.

Even Yasha’s frown was less pronounced as she watched the people dance in the cleared space.

Jester had long since left their group to join the others to dance. Nott had been the one to be dragged along with her, though it didn’t look like she minded all that much. In fact, this was probably the most fun Nott had had in months, as Jester spun her around and they both laughed with the joy of it all.

“Fuck it,” Beau’s voice wrenched Fjord from his thoughts.

They were both stood off to the side of the room, saving a table while the others tried to refill their drinks. Fjord glanced at her. But Beau was looking off towards the bar.

“Fuck it.” Beau said again, putting her trost down on the table, “I’m just gonna go over there and _ask_ her. I mean, what’s the worst thing that can happen? She says ‘ _no_ ’. So what? So _what_? I’m gonna ask her to dance.” She spoke like she was talking herself into the idea, but Fjord was enough drinks in to not follow her train of thought.

“Who, might I ask?” Fjord said. His eye caught Jester for a moment as she narrowly missed hitting someone with her elbow.

“ _Yasha_. I’m just gonna go see if she wants to dance.” Beau said. “That’s not scary, right?”

“That’s a little scary,” Fjord said. He would never admit who he was thinking of, “but you’re pretty brave, Beau. If anyone can do it, I reckon you can.”

“Aww… Thanks man.” Beau sounded genuine when he lightly punched his arm, “alright… Wish me luck!”

“Good luck.” Fjord said.

He leaned against the table and watched her skirt around the moving bodies. Fjord was really rooting for her as well; he’d heard how she talked to Jester and how nervous she was and how badly she wanted to get to know Yasha.

From the other side of the room, he saw Beau’s nervous gestures that she tried to hide; he saw Yasha consider it for a moment. Fjord had to smile when he saw Beau grab Yasha’s hand and pulled her into the free space.

“Well I’m glad the girls are getting along well.” Molly said, placing another drink in front of Fjord.

“Do you dance, Molly?” Fjord asked idly, watching his girls; Jester laughing as she spun herself and Nott around and Beau blushing as Yasha slowly warmed up to the idea of Beau leading.

“Not the kind that would be allowed here.” Molly said easily, settling in a chair so he could keep an eye on the crowd. “What about you, Fjord?”

Fjord huffed out a laugh and took a sip of his drink.

“I much prefer to just sit back and watch.” He said, which was mostly the truth. Molly just nodded, but they all knew he was silently filing the information away. He collected tidbits like Nott collected trinkets.

“Caleb? Are you one for a dance?” Molly sipped his drink and kept his body turned towards the crowd, but it was clear he was paying attention to his companions.

“When I was younger.” Caleb admitted. Fjord looked over, trying not to let his surprise show on his face, “when I was younger, my mother thought it was important for me to learn to dance at the winter festival.”

This was more history that Caleb ever really indulged. He never talked about his life before he met Nott, aside from the few throwaway comments here and there.

“What made you stop?” Fjord asked. He pointedly ignored the look Molly gave him.

“I stopped having anyone to dance with.” Caleb glanced away from the crowd and met Fjord’s eye for a brief moment. It didn’t last long, but it _almost_ felt like an invitation. “That and I stopped attending the festivals.”

The moment was over and Caleb went back to watching their friends (was it too early to consider them as something more like family? _probably_ ) dancing amongst themselves.

But now Fjord was thinking. And he knew that he could make a choice. That he could take a tip from Beauregard's book and be brave. He was brave every single day of his life, but only when it came to protecting others.

When it came to bridging the gap between himself and Caleb, well… Fjord had had his hand outstretched almost since they had met. He just knew that Caleb wouldn’t reach out, and he didn’t want to overstep any boundaries.

Luckily, he didn’t have to explore that train of thought for much longer as he noticed the song and the tone of the room change. The music became more upbeat and people started arranging themselves into an order amongst themselves. Molly laughed and put his drink down. There was a wide smile on his face.

“Oh I love a good, drunken folk dance.” He said, settled further into his chair. “Endlessly amusing.”

Nott burst out of the crowd and almost crashed into where Caleb stood. Caleb frowned in worry but Nott had a wide grin on her face. She grabbed his hand and looked up at him imploringly.

There was a few seconds where Caleb was thinking, and where Nott’s shoulders fell just a little.

But then Caleb put his drink down on the table and Nott’s face lit up and he let himself be pulled into the fray. Molly lifted his drink in a salute and he laughed when Caleb threw a look over his shoulder at them.

Fjord took another long drink. He startled just a little when he looked over and saw Molly looking at him.

“What?” Fjord asked.

“Nothing.” Molly said with a lazy shrug of his shoulders. “I’m just surprised that you’ve gone this far without making any kind of move.”

“I’m not following.” Fjord said. He sat up a little straighter in his chair, though.

“With all the look’s Caleb gives you, this should be a golden opportunity for you,” Molly spoke like it was obvious information, and maybe it was to him, “everyone’s happy, everyone’s a bit drunk, go ask him for a dance and see what happens.”

“It’s not that simple-”

“Well that’s a load of bullshit.” Molly interrupted.

“It’s not.” Fjord insisted.

“Oh, I don’t doubt that you’re afraid that he might say no,” Molly said, leaning over the table a little. His red eyes were just a little freaky that close up, or maybe that was just the intense look on his face, “but I’m saying that you should go dance anyway. Dance with Jester if you’re really afraid.”

“And you’re going to stay here? By yourself?”

“Well I didn’t say that, now, did I?” Molly finished his drink and stood up. Even though he’d kept pace with the rest of them, he stood as steady as ever. He looked at Fjord with a small smirk on his face, “you can’t wait for the right moment forever, Fjord. Might as well make it now.”

He disappeared into the crowd and, for a moment, Fjord was a little lost. So he looked for his friends and watched them for a moment.

Molly had found Jester and was letting himself be merry as she tried to teach him the steps to a dance no one else was doing. She was laughing loudly enough to pull a few looks, but a few of the locals started to copy her moves with grins on their faces. Caleb was holding Nott’s hands in his and leading her through a complicated dance that matched the rhythm of the song but not what the rest of the crowd was dancing to. The smile on Caleb’s face didn’t budge even when Nott stood on his foot by accident or when she messed up a step, but the delight on her face when she got it right and Caleb spun her around was tangible from where Fjord sat.

He took a moment to find Beau or Yasha (though the latter would have been easier to see over the crowd). They were stood beside the bar and Fjord felt a little bout of pride at how close they were standing and at how Beau’s hand rested on Yasha’s hip.

Fjord thought for a moment.

Beau had taken a chance, and it looked like it was paying off.

Would the world really end if he did the same?

He didn’t want to admit Mollymauk had a point, but......

Fjord’s drink was mostly empty. He gave himself two options; either he could get up and refill his drink, or he could join the festivities and live a little.

The music changed again to something that was still upbeat, but just a tad slower. People started pairing off, bowing and curtseying before dancing together energetically. It wasn’t a slow dance or a waltz, it was too energetic for that. But it was close.

Jester appeared in his view and she didn’t even need to say anything because the grin on her face was telling enough.

“Alright, I’ll dance with you.” Fjord tried to sound exasperated, but Jester could always see through that. Her hand was warm in his as she dragged him towards the rest of the crowd.

But her hand slipped from his and she turned to face him.

“Wait here!” She had to stand on her tiptoes and raise her voice to be heard over the music.

“Jester!” Fjord tried to reach out to her but she slipped through the crowd. For a terrible moment, Fjord was stood alone. He was alone surrounded by drunken strangers and he _really_ wished that he had just gotten another drink.

But then Jester reappeared. But she wasn’t alone.

“Have fun!” She shouted, before promptly disappearing into the crowd again.

Fjord blinked and suddenly he was face-to-face with Caleb, who was a little red-faced (though that could have been either the drink or the exercise). Still, Caleb was smiling, and Fjord didn’t want him to stop.

So Fjord bowed as low as he had seen the other men do and held out his hand. He didn’t expected Caleb to take it, but he swore his heart skipped a beat when he did.

“How well can you dance?” Caleb asked, leaning in so his mouth was by Fjord’s ear. He was still gripping Fjord’s hand tightly and Fjord couldn’t pretend that the flush in his cheeks was from the alcohol.

“Not well.” Fjord admitted, keeping his face close to Caleb’s. Purely so he didn’t have to raise his voice. That was why he stood close to Caleb. That and only that.

“I’ll lead then.” Caleb said, taking a half-step back and lightly gripping Fjord’s waist. They both pretended that they didn’t feel the shiver of electricity.

Caleb kept a tight hold of Fjord’s hand as Fjord gripped his shoulder and then suddenly they were dancing in the throngs of people. They were dancing, and Caleb was guiding him through the steps, whispering little forewarnings or silently adjusting how they were standing. Fjord didn’t comment on how close they were to each other, but he _certainly_ didn’t have a problem with it.

In fact, he felt his heart fall when the song ended and Caleb stepped away to bow. But he was a gentleman, so he bowed as well.

The music didn’t stop and he felt a light touch on his arm.

“Do you want to keep dancing?” Caleb asked. He seemed a little unsure of himself, and Fjord wanted to put that bright smile back on his face.

Fjord put one of his hands on Caleb’s shoulder and held his hand with the other, holding on tightly.

“For as long as you’ll let me.” Fjord promised.

This time he didn’t bother trying to excuse the blush on his face as Caleb gripped his waist.

**Author's Note:**

> you know when you're gay and you see someone else being gay in public and it makes you feel 1000% braver? that's kinda what Fjord went through


End file.
